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Chapter 13: Someone Comes to Visit
Head Constable Luo returned late again today.
His wife, Mrs. Wang, still brought hot water to wash his feet. Seeing her husband looking exhausted, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you catch the person?"
"How could we catch him?" Head Constable Luo sighed deeply. "That person is suspicious and cunning. We had set several traps, but either the methods were ineffective, or he had anticipated them; he never fell into any."
"What methods were ineffective?"
"The ones suggested by the experts from the Temple of Peace and Tranquility."
"What about the county magistrate..."
"There are still a few more days before reaching the deadline."
"In my opinion, trying to catch him forcefully won't work. Although he can't fly, he can still escape underground. Asking you to catch him, isn't that making it difficult for you? It's not like you can lift the person up and prevent him from touching the ground?" Mrs. Wang said as she carefully washed her husband's feet. "You need to seek help from a skilled person."
"What other skilled person can we find? Besides, isn't the method of burying a circle of dung from the experts at the Temple of Peace and Tranquility."
"Consult with a different skilled person."
"Where can we find another skilled person?" Head Constable Luo said in frustration. "I do know some Yaoguai-expelling individuals, but you know they're just a group of brave people who know some crude methods. At most, they can suggest some ideas, but I doubt they can really help me."
"I think that young master across the street is quite capable. Why not ask him for help?"
"That young master? A skilled person?" Head Constable Luo frowned.
"That young master has moved in to the next door for several days, showing no signs of fear. He goes in and out normally every day. Tonight I had a chat with him and asked if he was afraid of the female ghost in the courtyard. Guess what he said?"
"What did he say?"
Mrs. Wang then told her husband about the conversation they had that evening.
After hearing the story, Head Constable Luo couldn't really gauge how capable Song You was, but he immediately felt that he was an interesting person.
"Not fearing ghosts may just be boldness. Even if he has some skills, it doesn't necessarily mean he can help.” Head Constable Luo lifted his leg out of the wooden basin, without immediately placing all his hopes on it. "But if we have no other options in a few days, I'll bring a gift and pay him a visit."
Mrs. Wang crouched down again to wipe his feet.
...
Beneath the rising sun, in solitude he lay,
Not divine, yet more than divine in his own way.
Song You slept until noon again.
These days, he woke up later and later. Sometimes he would lie in bed until noon before getting up, and sometimes he would get up early, meditate and practice in his room until noon.
This way, he could skip one meal.
In the afternoon, he would read a book, go out for a walk if the weather was good, buy some groceries, and cook dinner himself. In the evening, he would enjoy the cool breeze outside, join the neighbors, and listen to their discussions about life in Yidu City.
Every night, the ghost in the courtyard would still sing a song or two, or dance in the courtyard. Sometimes her figure and appearance could be seen clearly.
It was a woman who was no longer young.
After getting used to it, Song You didn't mind anymore. He truly regarded her as a diversion from the monotonous life. He even developed a habit of listening to her songs.
Sometimes, when she suddenly appeared at night, he wasn't shocked. It was Lady Calico who was more easily startled. She often encountered the female ghost around a corner or when she was doing something, which would startle her.
But last night...
The woman would sometimes roam around different rooms. But last night, she unexpectedly opened Song You's room door, stood at the entrance for a long time, undoubtedly affecting his sleep.
If it weren't for a guilty conscience, he would have blamed the late waking up on this female ghost.
But this problem still needed to be solved.
"..."
After thinking for a while, Song You decided to go out and buy some yellow hemp paper. He also bought a brush, inkstone, and cinnabar. He planned to draw some talismans and paste them on the bedroom door to keep the female ghost away.
In these days, more and more people heard about his situation, thinking he had skills. Some came to consult him about the solutions for encountering evil spirits or ghosts, and others wanted to buy talismans for exorcism or protection. Song You thought this was feasible and could also earn some money for groceries, just like it was a significant source of income for his Daoist temple.
There seemed to be many shops selling various things near the entertainment district. After having dinner, he could check them out.
With these thoughts, Song You got up and went out.
The pickled vegetable porridge from last night was not finished. He heated it in the pot, making it his lunch. It was quite delicious.
After finishing his meal and washing the bowl, Song You went out directly. He said to the calico cat in the courtyard, "Lady Calico, I'm going out. Please watch over the house for me."
"Okay" The calico cat focused on playing, not turning her head.
Song You opened the door and walked down the alley.
Not far away, there was a lively entertainment district with various performances. Although it was daytime, it was still bustling.
Passing by, there were storytellers, critics, wrestling matches, and archery contests, each with its own audience and style.
Song You, who initially intended to buy yellow paper, couldn't resist being attracted by an old storyteller. He sat down and even ordered a pot of tea.
"With General Ayanqi (阿延齐) leading a group of personal guards, they chased from the water onto the land, relentlessly pursuing, determined to kill Marshal Ma(马元帅) right there! At a critical moment, Marshal Ma escaped onto a small path. General Ayanqi hurriedly chased after, only to see a formidable general appearing ahead on the road!
"‘What an imposing figure!’ exclaimed Ayanchi.
"Clad in black helmet, black armor, and a black battle robe, adorned with black tiger-headed boots, wielding a crimson-tasseled spear, astride a mottled beast, the man’s face resembled carved jade, his eyes cold as stars.
"Behind the formidable general were five hundred blade-bearing elite, all towering in stature, each brandishing a massive blade measuring five feet in length, with a blade length of two and a half feet and a handle of the same. The blades gleamed brilliantly, their edges sharp as a hair's breadth, emitting an icy aura that chilled even from a distance. Each elite soldier also bore a quiver of arrows strapped to their backs, akin to fierce tigers sprouting wings, or sea dragons swimming through the depths.
“It was none other than General Chen Xin(陈信), Chen Ziyi(陈子毅 Courtesy name)!
“Ayanchi was shocked. How could General Chen Ziyi appear here? More importantly, who among his own men could stand against Chen Ziyi? And who could withstand the might of his soldiers?"
This was a real historical event in this world that happened a few years ago.
At that time, in the northern territories of Dayan, a war erupted. The Grand Marshal Ma Hong(马宏) fell victim to an ambush and suffered a crushing defeat. Just as he was about to be captured by the enemy commander, General Chen Xin, who was currently a hot topic among storytellers, arrived. Rumor had it that he almost single-handedly halted Ayanchi's pursuing troops, rescued the Marshal, and left behind a legendary tale.
The old storyteller spoke with great excitement, but of course, there was some artistic embellishment.
Song You was quite interested in these stories.
In general, he felt that such legendary stories would be recorded in history, and many years later, future generations would probably also read about this story. For him, a man stranded in ancient times, this would also serve as a form of solace.
So he listened until the end before getting up to leave.
He didn't forget the purpose of coming out.
After wandering around the entertainment district inside and out, he successfully found a shop that sold yellow hemp paper.
Drawing talismans didn't necessarily require yellow paper, but over time, the daoist and Buddhist traditions, as well as local oddities, had developed a habit of using yellow paper for most talismans.
It also didn't have to be hemp paper.
Generally, rattan paper or hemp paper was all suitable, with fewer instances of bamboo paper and absolutely none of rice paper. Typically, each region had its own habits. For example, places that produced hemp paper often used yellow hemp paper for talismans, places that produced rattan paper often used rattan paper, and Yizhou was known for its production of both bamboo paper and hemp paper.
Song You was used to yellow hemp paper.
The paper from the shop he visited was well-made, thick, and durable. Such paper, as long as it didn't get damp, would remain strong and resistant to discoloration for a long time.
Yellow hemp paper was thicker and rougher than white hemp paper, presenting a pale yellow color. There were some straw and paper scraps on the back, but it didn't affect its use. However, when Song You picked up a sheet of yellow hemp paper and looked at it against the sky, he always felt that the color was a bit off.
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"I don't know if it's my eyes or what, but it seems a bit reddish. Am I right?"
"Oh! You have sharp eyes, sir! You noticed it at a glance!" The shopkeeper immediately grinned. "This batch of paper was newly made yesterday. The mischievous children in my family happened to mess around with some red dye during papermaking. But ordinary people usually don't have the discernment of you, sir!"
"I see..."
"Does… this affect your use, sir?"
"Not much."
The shopkeeper immediately breathed a sigh of relief and boasted, "Sir, you've come to the right place. It's not just boasting; I believe few people in Yizhou can match the quality of the paper we produce. Even the papers produced by those big stores are not much better than the paper from my shop. It's just that my shop's reputation isn't well-known, but anyone who has bought paper from my shop will definitely come back!"
"Make it a bit cheaper."
"It’s already very cheap..."
After some haggling, Song You bought a bundle of yellow hemp paper, a brush, an inkstone, and cinnabar. Surprisingly, he spent more than three hundred copper coins on them.
Among them, the brush, ink, and inkstone were of the most common quality. If one wanted better quality, there was no upper limit.
In this era, reading and writing were expensive.
Cinnabar was purchased from another shop.
On the way back, seeing the butcher shop, he thought that since he had already spent a lot of money, he might as well get a catty of pork. He also bought some garlic sprouts before returning home satisfied.
"Squeak~"
As soon as he pushed open the courtyard door, he saw a mixed-color shadow quickly running out from the inner room. Upon seeing him, she said, "Daoist, someone knocked on the door looking for you just now."
"Who was it? Did Lady Calico open the door for them?"
"It seems to be those people we met at the city gate that day, and also the person living across the street." The calico cat raised her head and said, "Lady Calico didn't open the door. You said she shouldn’t speak in front of ordinary people."
"It’s good that you remember it, but no need to fear them like a tiger."
"What?"
"Were there two groups of people knocking on the door?"
"Yes, they bumped into each other at the door, and then chatted for a while. They said they would come back tomorrow."
"Got it, thank you, Lady Calico."
"No problem."
"I bought some pork. Does Lady Calico want it raw or cooked?"
"Same as you."
"Alright."
Song You didn't care about the people who knocked on the door today. Carrying the meat, he went to the kitchen to start preparing.
Rinse the rice before boiling and drain the water, then put it in the steamer.
The top-quality pork belly was simmered with peppercorns and ginger until almost cooked, then sliced thinly. Cleaned garlic sprouts were cut into segments. Under the watchful gaze of Lady Calico, the pan was heated again with oil, and the pork slices were sautéed over low heat until golden. Then, a burst of extra heat was added to the stove, and the garlic sprouts were swiftly added in with a sizzle.
Throughout the process, Song You could handle it alone.
He wasn't flustered at all but was organized in the busy kitchen. In this worldly atmosphere, he sought the tranquility that belonged to his inner self.
No need for excessive seasonings, just soy sauce and fermented black beans for flavoring. A delicious stir-fried pork was soon ready.
In this era, stir-frying became popular only a few decades ago. Maybe this dish hadn't been invented yet, but the aroma of this dish had already risen in this small courtyard.
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